Worlds to Divide
by GreatGrinReaper
Summary: Months later after the world is saved, Desmond is frequently being forced into memories of his ancestors while outside the Animus. Now that his place is served, he is given a final mission that requires him to leave all he ever knew and live the three worlds his forefathers had. The only difference is Desmond needs help more than he can give. [All four assassins Spoiler AC3]
1. Chapter 1

**This story is an AU so it doesn't directly go with the storyline. I appreciate reviews and feedback. I've always loved Assassins Creed because it's just such a boss game and I've always loved the idea of Desmond meeting his ancestors face to face and stuff. a lot of this story is inspired by artwork for AC so props to my art buddies for being so talented :)**

* * *

Desmond had a fair share of strange happenings in his life. Being kidnapped and forced to relive the amazing lives of your ancestors was one of them. Pretty much everything that eventually came back to haunt him came from that experience too. Like going all the way through adulthood as a playboy master assassin living in Italy, living life his oldest Syrian Ancestor during the crusades, and recently witnessing the coming of age in America through his Mohawk great-great-great-great grandfather.

As Much as Desmond had grown to admire and appreciate his ancestors, he sometime seriously wished he had just been left alone as a minimum paid bartender. Right now was one of those moments. Just hours ago Desmond had been taken to a secret location away from the city. About a week ago the worlds untimely doom had been halted for a couple of years and a way to save it permanently was currently being researched by much more capable figures than Desmond.

After learning that Juno, in all her plotting, had used his line of descendants to eventually lead him to her prison and expect him to free her. Needless to say, Desmond couldn't really say no to saving humanity until a miracle happened. Jupiter had came with Minerva in a last ditch effort to convince him not to release Juno. Desmond had denied them, much to his unhappiness, until he was made an offer.

Jupiter had sworn to give the Earth a hidden technology that would shield the Earth from the solar flare, but it would break after being used. It was up to humans to recreate another for the next. Of course Desmond and the others had a fit when they learned about it and demanded to know why it hadn't been offered earlier but they accepted the deal and sealed Juno away forever after sealing off the temple.

For now his only job was guarding the artifacts nobody knew he had and staying away from any possible Templar contact. That and trying trying to steer clear of the animus or any sort of

Desmond had been going through a rehab like process from the side effects of the animus. As great of an assassin he was now from the bleeding effect, his hallucinations and blackouts had increased.

His most recent hallucination...was right now.

First thing Desmond had come to learn when he was unwillingly sucked into a dormant memory was which ancestor he was. Conner was always a dead giveaway, but Ezio and Altair where usually hard to distinguish unless they passed a mirror or spoke with someone from their time.

Right now Desmond hazard a guess he was Ezio...for like the eighth time in a row this week. Why? Because for the last eight nights Desmond had been having visions of him (in Ezios body) getting a bit friendly with some florentine women for the Italians pre-assassin days.

_"My love, why do you associate yourself with that harlot Veneza? I saw you speaking to her yesterday!" some lady Ezio had been having relations with accused. _

_"What are you talking about? My heart belongs only to the most beautiful lady in Firenze!" Ezio lied through his rich Italian accent. _

Desmond sat in his synchronized awkwardness refusing to allow the memories feelings to attach to his own. As much as he hated sitting through one of Ezios dramatic plays, he was wildly happy he wasn't Altair at the moment. Last time that happened, Desmond had gone through the outrageously uncomfortable experience of watching his great-great-great-great-great-great grandfather Sef be conceived...and then got a point of view from inside Marias womb. Very scarring.

"DESMOND! DESMOND! SNAP OUT OF IT!" came a shrill voice that shoved Desmond's mind back into his reality. Desmond jolted upright from the couch he was laying on. Rebecca stood half shaken as he stared at her in confusion.

"Rebecca!? What? It's just a hallucination. I even blocked any feeling Ezio was having. It wasn't that strong I swear I-"

"DESMOND! Shut up!" The mechanic ordered. "It wasn't that. I could see you were already coming out of it but-but you...you were talking in your sleep. You were mimicking what Ezio was saying perfectly in his accent."

"Wha-What?!" Desmond breathed in shock. "How can that be? Shaun told me that the doctor said I was getting better."

Rebecca looked uncomfortable and unsure how to answer. "You have I swear, but...do_ you _feel like you're getting better. I mean it's great that you're not sharing a complete synchronization with your ancestors, but I'm worried that the more you try to separate yourself for them...maybe their memories might become separate personalities to your own. Only two people I know of ever knew of who went in the Animus too much stopped the bleeding effect completely ...and now one of them is stuck in the Animus forever."

Desmond was silent in a shaken chill. He hated it when Rebecca or any of the others would tell him something like that out of nowhere.

"I-I'm sure I'm getting better. I have to be. I've stopped having memory scenes with Conner all together. I haven't had Altair since I was in coma state in the Animus. It's only Ezio and his little...antics from his teenage years."

Rebecca nodded but it wasn't a happy nod, just more of a grim and watchful one. "Well you have synchronized with Ezio the longest out of all the three. Conner may have been the most recent but we were all careful to keep you in there for only a short amount of time."

"Do you think that I'll ever be able to use the Animus ever again?" Desmond asked just out of the blue. It was something he had been wondering for a while now.

"No. It's taken too much out of you. You've gotten all the skill you could possibly want from it anyway," came a new voice.

Desmond flicked his eyes to the man behind Rebecca and frowned. His father. The elder Miles didn't even stay to acknowledge any questions on his statement as he simply came to grab a file and left.

"Awkward...," Rebecca muttered as Rebeccas attention was suddenly snapped to her watch. "Shit. I've got to get going. Do yourself a favor Desmond and try to do something that doesn't relate to any sort of assassin activity."

Desmond sat on the couch blankly as he watched her go and leave him alone again.

* * *

_"My love! NO!" Ezio cried out in anguish. The Italian knelt with aching grief next to Christina and cupped her cold face in his hand. "Requiescat in pace," He whispered as he held the girl who once held his heart. Gone. Christina was gone. _

_Ezio, being a master Assassin, held a certain degree of self-control for any deaths within the brotherhood of family...but for now he would make an acception. A single tear ran down the assassins cheek as he carried the body of his once beloved and placed her in a bed of nearby flowers, hopefully for her family of neighbors to find. Taking one last look at the woman of his heart, he took off back to the headquarters, never looking back to the love that had been lost. _

Desmond opened his eyes silently realizing first that a river of tears were flowing down his face and he was breathing harshly as is his side had just been stabbed. "Ow...ow god, it's never hurt this bad before," he whimpered as he tried desperately to stop crying.

The feeling of grief...sadness...pure anguish and suffering where clouding his mind. Why though? When Altair killed Maria and when Ezio lost his family, Desmond had only gotten a brief feeling of their sadness, but this was so much more intense. He felt like his own life had become a nightmarish disaster overnight, like the only feeling left for him was depression and stress, like-like he himself was dead.

"Somebody! Help me!" Desmond yelled as he stumbled out of his bed. A minute later, a doctor rushed in a helped Desmond up. The rest of the night he spent in a medical room after taking a special sleeping pill.

A few hours later though, he was woken up by the sound of a clipboard falling and a whole new situation revealed itself.

"How did this happen? Why haven't any of the other subjects experienced this? Is it even possible?"

"...Not sure why, but I'm sure this is the case. Come to think of it, I'm almost not surprised this is a symptom though. At least we know what going on." Spoke the doctors voice.

Desmond cracked a sore eye open and shifted his equally sore body to face the directions of the conversation.

Desmond processed the sight before him in a daze before coming to a full realization. Talking at right of his bed where Altair and Ezio both standing very close to each other in an arguing sense while they voiced the thoughts of two voices that were definitely not theirs.

"Perhaps we should rethink the idea of the rehab plan and try a different approach. Some things obviously not right with him," said Ezio in an extremely female voice.

Desmond blinked dumbfounded and tumbled out of his bed, adding to his record of falling over.

"Oh my goodness! Desmond are you alright?!" the shrill female voice shrieked as he felt a pair of slender arms haul him up. Desmond looked up to a relief when he saw the face of a familiar female nurse.

"Camilla...thank god," he breathed. The nurse blinked confused and turned to look at the doctor. Desmond realized that the image of Altair he had saw was somehow actually that one chubby scientist doctor who had put him on the sleeping pills.

"D-Doc these hallucinations have definitely gotten stronger," Desmond inquired.

* * *

"Your mind, maybe the Animus itself...somehow your subconscious wants to connect with your ancestors again. I don't have a single idea why, but your inner mind really wants to see your ancestors again. It's not personal or anything, but I have a theory that it feels unhappy without having a sense of their world with you. It's like something is pulling you back to seeing them."

Desmond sat blank faced in a medical surgery room while a group of doctors discussed to him what was going on.

"In the simplest complex, your mind is trying to create of reinvent an Ezio, an Altair, and eventually a Conner perhaps...We just have no sureness why."

Desmond nodded and put his head in his hands. "...Can I please be left alone?"

The group filed out diligently, leaving the 'once saviour of the world' to his predicament.

"Pulling me back..." he mumbled quietly. It didn't make any sense but it had to stop. Desmond refused to believe that he was 'addicted' to the animus.

'I can't live the rest of my life, going in and out of their world. I can't even take the pain they felt and shut it away like a real assassin can.' he thought.

"You don't have to shut away your pain. I can see it in your heart that you want to see them," came a voice. An all too familiar voice.

Desmond nearly hit the ceiling when he jumped from the presence of the speaker. Minerva.

"W-W-What the hell?! Why are you here!" Desmond immediately demanded as soon as the god-like creature made herself known. He scrambled back a couple feet from the lady.

"...Do not fear Desmond Miles. You and I are on the ground of peace with each other. Perhaps it was your vigor to save humanity that you almost chose Juno...but I will forgive you because she still is not free."

Desmond made no move to relax. "Why are you here then? You came for a reason. You and you people always come to my blood for a reason," he said in a quite yet audible voice.

Just like the other encounters, Minerva gave little facial emotions, but Desmond caught just the absolute minimal flash of guilt that grazed her expression.

"For the reasons you have just brought into focus, I have come to apologize for the actions of myself and Juno upon your family. Saving humanity will never make me truly regret my actions, but do not think I have not felt guilt from the quest we forced upon you heritage. You must understand that your family is significant because of its standpoint in the world. You do realize that if I or Juno had chosen another family...a Templar especially, that they would have given Juno power without a second thought. You almost did yourself, even though your 'Creed' believes otherwise."

The words stung the mouth of Desmond like a scorpion. How dare she. He had gone against the creed. Hundreds of years his family fought for the ability of humanity to live under their own fair rule and he had almost given it all up to a power hungry Juno. Shame wrought over his mind as any other thought was pushed away.

"what...do you want?" he growled low and quietly. Minerva no doubt knew she had stuck a weak point on Desmond but she made no attempt to console him.

"You realize that as a being of the first civilization I have superior live extent and skill among all other humans. I am here to inform you survival ability...is near its end."

Desmond raised his ashen face to the goddess. "You're dying?" he asked.

Minerva nodded, still no emotion on her face. "You must understand that in the first civilization dying with a sin is unclean and unhonorable for our beliefs. I've decided to grant the rest of my power upon you to finish the war with the Templar and give to your family to make up for what was taken away. My people created yours as a work force, yet now that I am but an alien to a world that will never be mine again I will leave your race behind with peace," the god-like figure concluded.

"What about Jupiter or Juno? There are more of you right?" Desmond demanded.

"Juno will never be freed. At least that is what I've sworn to myself, but as long as her prison is watched and unopened she will eventually wither. Jupiter has already passed. The technology he gave you was his payment. I will leave you behind with my words and explanation. Humanity will have evolved more by the next flare and they will hopefully have the ability to stop it. If not...then it their own fault for not being productive and there is nothing left. But that it highly unlikely. As for you, you have been visited by visions correct?" the goddess questioned.

Desmond paused and nodded his head. "Can you cure me? Are you going to tell me what they mean or something? You know how to stop them right?!" Desmond pressed.

Minerva stood silently, no facial expression in the slightest, which bothered Desmond hugely. "You ask me all the wrong favors and questions. Your visions and effects are all part of my repayment to you. Your ancestors spent their whole lives to lead you to Juno. They suffered loss to your enemies and carried on, but all alone for the longest time. The least I can do for you and for them is bring you back together...which is why I will bring you to them"

Minerva stood in front of Desmond silently waiting for a response. Desmond had stopped moving all together. 'She's gonna bring me to them...or something?' he thought.

After a couple minutes to gain his composure, Desmond found his words.

"I-Impossible. You would never. T-this is my time, my home! My family-er well not them, but my people! the Assassins!" Desmond demanded as he finally gained his senses back and started to inch his away father away from the serious faced goddess.

"You will not escape this Desmond Miles. Your time has nothing for you. Your hunted fervently day and night by Templar who are on the verge of finding you. You alone hold the map to finding Juno again. Putting you with your forefathers will assure the safety of the people. As for the Assassins, they will prosper again. I have no doubt." Minerva concluded her decision to him.

"No...j-just no. My friends...my family-my parents! I can't leave them," Desmond pleaded. 'This can't be happening! It's just another illusion," he desperately pleaded to himself.

"This is not a false happening, Desmond Miles. You have a limited amount of time before my promise to you is fulfilled and put into action. Use this time then for yourself to say your goodbyes," Minerva spoke. Before Desmond could start to yell and panic the image of the lady turned gray and flickered out of view.

* * *

"DESMOND?! Desmond, are you 'ok' in there?!" came Rebecca's voice.

No. he was not. Desmond keeled on the ground staring up into space trying to process the meeting he had just had. He could barely comprehend what was happening.

"Rebecca," he answered in a weak voice. "I...need...you guys. please."

The door opened but Desmond could not make out any of the people he was seeing.

"HOLY CRAP! Someone get in here now! He's-he's fading away!-SOMEBODY GET IN HERE!" shrieked Rebeccas voice.

"WHAT THE BLOODY HELL!" Shaun's voice shouted as Desmond felt a slight sensation graze his arm before all feeling exited his body.

without hearing another word, Desmond lost all feeling.

* * *

"Desmond wake up," William Miles ordered sternly. Desmond hadn't realized he was conscious until he heard the voice of his father.

"Dad?" he questioned for assurance.

"Yes, son you're back in the animus. I have some bad news for you," the elder Miles said.

Desmond squeezed his eyes shut as a small feeling of pain circled his stomach. "...whats happened"

the sound of a frustrated sigh came from above. Desmond opened his eyes and found himself lying on the white computer floor of the animus as he stared off into the white infinity it had.

"Son, I think the more you tried to separate yourself form the animus, you subconsciously acquired a great gravity to it that now its pulling you in more at a greater force. In other words...your being sucked into it,' his father breathed.

"...I know. Before you guys came in, Minerva told me that I was going to be taken away from this time so Juno couldn't be set free ever again," Desmond explained sadly.

Williams breath hitched, "You know all about it then. I guess that irresponsible nature of your will never die. Just know son that your mother and I will always love you."

Desmond smiled as he stared at the white sky in the animus. "Thanks old man. I don't have a lot of time and I probably won't see you ever again...I just want you to know that...I forgive you and I loved you and mom both," Desmond said.

'This is it isn't it? I'm never going to see the again. I've always loved my family and friends but really the only person I would truly miss is...Lucy.' A brief image of the deceased blonds face appeared in Desmonds mind before he forced it away.

"I'm going to miss you the most Lucy. I know you may have been a traitor...but you made me really happy for a time."

Desmond was half humored to tell his father just who he was going to go see but he decided that as a farewell present he would just say this. "I will be safe. Tell the others I'll miss them Goodbye."

"Goodbye" he heard as he lost feeling in his body inside the animus.

for what seemed like hours Desmond stood in a loading field staring off into space a thin white line slid past him and little bubble like bloops popped and fizzled in the background. It was like he was stuck in a limbo between his world and the animus.

"Minerva, are you there?" Desmond asked aloud finally.

"...Barely." said the goddesses faint voice. "My time is almost here. Now that your being is synced completely the process may begin."

Desmond huffed lightly. "You know I'm not really being reunited with anyone since this is a fake universe. I get the feeling that your just doing this because you hate Juno."

"...not quite. You are correct for my purposes but you've solely mistaken my methods. I plan to send you back in time and yes I can do that. The place you are in now is simply a middle point between each time frame you will visit," Minerva explained.

Desmond twitched, he was really confused. "That's not even possible though. Won't that screw up the time frame?"

A low and dying laugh sounded in the animus. "Silly man. You humans believe that by messing with time you can change the future. But what you do not see is that all actions not matter how they are played out only lead to one end. You humans base a worldly religion on an idea of fate, yet you do not truly understand it. Even if you were to tell every man in the time your going to the future of the world it would still come to the same conclusion You may avoid a petty fight or one persons death but every conclusion and effect the world demands will be met. Altair will still hide the apple, Ezio will still seek it out, Ratonhnhaké:ton will hold the key, and eventually you would put all of them together despite any warnings or force you put in to stop it."

"I don't understand." Desmond said. It made no sense. It was against the basic logic of human kind.

"It is impossible for one of my nature to truly explain to your people. Just know that what will happen will happen, but you can always alter a few things for your own needs." Minerva concluded.

Desmond just shook his head in frustration as the goddess fizzed away leaving him in the white infinity again.

* * *

Desmond was all too sure an hour had passed by the time another thing changed. He had been sitting in the white zone for a while contemplating seeing his ancestors in real life and the fact he was never going back home. It was...a lot to take it.

To his absolute shock though he felt like he was going home in a way. So much of his life he had spent in a boring monotone spree of running from an unreal enemy or being a minimum wage bar tender.

He had spent only a week of time in the animus as all three of his ancestors yet he had lived each of their lives and felt their beings for every moment.

*Foosh!*

Desmond's head perked up as a great white light pierced the animus-like and everything began to re-shape. all of a sudden Desmond was met with a turquoise colored portal.

"Well...here I go," he whispered. All other thoughts aside, Desmond took one last look at the sky above him and touched the portal.


	2. Chapter 2

Desmond's eyes begrudgingly peeled open to a blinding ray lights that hit his face. First thing Desmond knew was that he was in real life, mostly because he couldn't be blinded by light in the animus.

A sound of running water and horse hoofs echoed in the distant as Desmond found his body covered in straw and currently being bumped around in whatever cart he was in. Before sitting up and looking around Desmond went to feel his clothing to see what part of him was still here.

'Shoes...gone...pants-THANK GOD, check!' Desmond went through his mind of what he was wearing. He wasn't stupid enough to simply out himself in a new environment. The cold smoke instinct of three accomplished assassins where running hard in his head thanks to the bleeding effect and he wasn't about to shame them by standing out unlike an assassin should.

Judging by the chilly temperature leaking into his warm surrounding, he could tell it must be late at night.

'Alright so I still have my jeans, jacket...no shirt? ok. Hidden blades check. Looks like everything is here except my shoes and shirt.' Desmond ruffled around in the moving hay bin and pocked his head up for a brief view of his surroundings.

Italy. Venice to be more exact. A full proud moon stood over in the distance making the woken assassin squint at how bright it shone. A handful of gondolas littered the canals as the water under them glistened with a dark blue magnificence that made the whole picture a truly captivating sight. A cluster of buildings, with a desperate need for being repainted, spread apart from each other as the water flowed in-between them smoothly and around swirled polls aligning the sidewalks.

"It's beautiful," Desmond breathed as he looked around. The cart he was on was currently crossing a mini stone bridge connecting two alleys ways. The driver of said wagon seemed so currently unaware of Desmond's presence behind him, it made Desmond wonder quite a bit.

Reluctantly leaving the small glimpse of the wondrous city and ducking back in the hay, Desmond positioned himself for a jump.

"Alright; one...two...THREE!" he hissed as he launched his lethargic body out of the warm clump and onto the window of some random building.

Desmond gasped for breath as he watched his napping material trot away leaving him dangling five feet from the ground against a wall. "H-holy Crap *Huff* I can't be this out of shape."

This wasn't possible. He had spent a considerable amount of time practicing free running and exercising during his recent weeks. It wasn't until Desmond took a quick survey of his body that he realized the problem. He had de-aged...considerably. Like a lot. He was about Ezio's current age.

Why the fuck would Minerva want me the same age-?"

A loud and shrill roar rose from a building over. Desmond listened and moved closer to see festival lights and a party of panicked Italians

Desmond scooted up near a corner where he peeked over to the other side to see a chubby noble dressed man run past everyone covered in blood. Rodrigo Borgia.

"Wait...I recognize that guy. If he just got the crap beaten out of him...that means Ezio just left. Ok. I remember where this leaves off at." Desmond muttered before he quickly ducked away out of sight.

* * *

About an hour later of wandering through the city, Desmond experienced his first stroke of fortune when he saw a cart full of tailor shipments crossing an all too perfect dark alley.

Gingerly sneaking up, Desmond fished his hand in and pulled out several articles of passable Venice attire. "Thank you God," he whispered quietly as he sprinted away from the clueless cart driver.

Desmond changed into his more modern renaissance clothing across a dark canal. He was honestly pleased to say the least he didn't look completely stupid or outlandish in it.

Over the time Desmond had taken to walk around the nighttime allies he was met with a sight that had his breath stolen away from him. A bright fire glowed from a viewpoint-er tower so warmly yet unnoticeable to passing people who didn't think to look. Desmond could make out the dim shadows of a group of people, one most certainly being Ezio.

Desmond stomach had a nervous yet joyful feeling twist in it as he watched the fire go dark and five figures do a leap of faith and disappear. Desmond stood purely focused as he saw the last figure, a favorable man wearing Altairs armor, look off in the view and do his own leap.

Desmond breathed deep breaths as his mind stood in a glorious awe of his first realization that he was in fact living in the same time of Ezio.

"That was him," he breathed. "Nobody else has that armor."

Watching Ezio disappear, Desmond turned his focus on him and sought out a horse stable nearby to spend the night in. Hunkering down in a pile of hay, he went over his memories of the events to follow.

"God I wish this was easier to remember. Ok...he killed Marco Barbarigo, dressed like a guard to get near Rodrigo. So the memory sequence jumped four years forward though. He still has to see Caterina about the apple. So if my knowledge serves me correctly he'll be here for another year or so before he goes off to the villa and travels to Flori." Desmond muttered quietly to himself as the night pressed on.

"I guess I'll be here for a while...or my lifetime. Altair and the other...I wonder when I'll see them as an old man or if my age will change back. God I wish Minerva explained this more."

The night droned on and eventually Desmond forced himself to sleep.

All these event came together, but his biggest question still wasn't answered. 'What would he say once he got the chance to see Ezio.' It would probably get him killed if he just approached him out of the blue and said something like 'HEY! Ezio Auditore da Firenze?! Guess what! I'm your descendant! Let's hang out, be friends, eat pasta, and have the greatest time ever!'

No. That would get him shanked in a heartbeat.

The sunrise eventually broke the dark horizon and the morning dew chill woke an unhappy Desmond up. His back was sore because of the awkward position he had slept in.

'Us modern day assassins,' Desmond thought. 'We just aren't meant for these kind of lifestyles when we grow up the way we do.'

Setting off into the streets, he spent his morning following a trail of wanted posters and pick pocketing large crowds when he passed them.

"Leonardo's workshop. He must be there." Desmond said to himself as he jogged through the Venice streets.

* * *

If there was something that played a huge role in Ezio life, it was definitely the secrets it revolved around. His secret life as an assassin was probably the most dominant...But so was his secret love life as well.

If there was one thing above most others that Ezio kept good to himself, it was his love life. Of course his numerous relationships with the fine women of Italy were no secret. It was something he was known for throughout his years. It was his male relationships he kept good and quiet with.

Yes. The notorious Italian assassino, Ezio, as some would say, has the eligibility to be a lover to all. None knew this more to be true, than Leonardo, Ezio's closest friend.

Currently the young rising artist sat happily in his office listening to the assassin pace back and forth past the apple of Eden.

"-It has some sort of significance. 'Prophet' or whatever I've been called has to mean something more. Prophets give messages and do quests of God. A man like me isn't exactly one to be associated with religion. Not with my way of life especially. But this predicament will have to wait. My Uncle and I have made plans to track down that noble woman we once met. Caterina Sforza. Apparently my allies in the brotherhood wish to take the apple for safe keeping in her home. However, it will be a while before we finish tracking her and before my little scuffle with the Barbarigos blows over de city," Ezio explained.

Leonardo listened intently to his friends words.

"Ezio, my friend, you have the apple. Perhaps you should wait a while and rest. You must be tired. Rodrigo will be invisible for the next couple months with you around. If you keep going right now, you'll be the one tracked down, not him," Leonardo inquired.

Ezio's eye twitched at the bitter truth of the statement. How unfortunately right his friend was.

Ezio sighed and seated himself as he tucked the apple away safely in a leather pouch. "...Perhaps you're right. I feel obligated to return home and be with family yet I've also been yearning to return to Firenze."

"Perhaps you should return to your city. The Medici family would love to have you near them. Lorenzo will love to see you again, I'm sure," Leonardo pointed out.

Ezio huffed humorously and turned to the artist. "Please spare me the Medici, Leonardo. Lorenzo and I are good friends but if I go to Florence and simply have him announce me as his guest, I couldn't possibly hope to go undetected. The greatest banking family in all of Italia has always been watched a bit too closely for my taste."

Leonardo shrugged with a smile. "What happened to you former lover? Nothing against Caterina or the thief girl, but you seemed much more passionate about Christina than...well most women you like to discuss."

The moon in the sky darkened temporarily as a shadow passed by the window. Ezio stood observing recent painting Leonardo had been working on.

"My passion for her...is all without meaning now. She is married. Thus my love has no place to lead me that I truly wish to go. Fear not though for my romantic fulfillment, Leonardo. If there is something us assassin must always remember is that love in our lives is not always the best to pursue."

The artist snorted and laughed lightly. Here standing before him stood the notorious playboy assassin who had so famously claimed the hearts and lust of Italy's most luscious and beautiful women, yet now as Leonardo watched his dear friend he could see something deeper.

"Excuse me for a minute Ezio. I feel the sudden urge to paint," He announced as he excused himself form the rooms head, with a passion of romantic thoughts filling hi.

Ezio watched bemusedly as Leonardo rushed off to express his sudden unexpected wave of inspiration.

"_Bene, _I will see you later then my friend," he called as he turned to exit the workshop.

The cold nighttime air brushed him slightly but after all his life in Italy he had come to love the feeling. The moons reflection across the canal water lit his surroundings much to his enjoyment.

Such beauty was Venice in all its crooks and corners. No other place could looks so gorgeous and complex in it's own buildings and homes, and yet hold a peaceful, loving, and blush worthy aura such as Venice.

The young Italian gracefully strolled down the alleys and the bordering canals, simply taking the time to himself to appreciate the beauty. Why couldn't he do this more often? Was his life as an assassin so demanding for him, he couldn't even stop to notice the beauty around him?

Whether his ambitions took away from his life, he could enjoy it now. The sound of running water and the hum of far away music. The vast yet crowd-less streets in front of him and the sweet clicking of the roof-top bricks was like an image of therapy for him.

Ezio walked calmly for about a minute before a realization hit him.

Empty streets...in Italy...

"...*click click click*...*click click*..."

The sound of light footsteps against roof tiles met his ears. The assassin remained calm as he continued walking.

Foolish of him to loose his whits like he had just now. It would have been his own fault if his death's cause was because of his lolly-gagging and empty head.

He was an assassin first and second to nothing.

Whoever was stalking him would soon see the error of their ways.

Ezio walked a bit faster as the clicking steps to the right roof above him increased. Quickly before his stalker could see, the assassin ducked around a dark alley and pressed himself up against a wall with a window scalpel right under it.

Pretty soon Ezio could hear the clicking footsteps rush back and forth between rooftops. Finally as they died down and came closer to his current location, Ezio a smiling heard a light thump on the platform right above him.

Ezio could stab the bottom of his followers feet if he so chose, but the assassin decided he would much rather wait for the purser to make a mistake instead.

"...Fuck," came a low murmur from the man above him.

Ezio smirked as the man above him sighed in defeat. He would just wait for the fool to come down so that he could finish him off.

* * *

Desmond sighed in defeat as his ancestor disappeared from sight. 'Did he sense me or something. He's still pretty young, his senses aren't as honed as they are when he goes to Rome or when he's senior age. I guess I've underestimated him' Desmond thought.

Desmond looked at the window plat form that was holding up his body to a two story window. He peeked inside 'said' widow and noticed that it was an empty building.

'Looks like I can sleep in here tonight if I have to. How lucky for me,' He decided, finally coming upon a slight bit of luck.

"Well...looks like he's gone for good now," Desmond said unhappily. Just as he was sliding open the rotting window to the empty faction building, Desmond froze as the sound another persons breath reached his ears.

Altair, Ezio, and Conner fully trained in his head were the only things making this possible.

Desmond slowly bent his gaze down and noticed little glimpses of shoulder armor from between the planks on the platform he stood on.

'Well fuck me...looks like he isn't as tricky as I thought and maybe I'm more incapable without my ancestors than I could have ever possibly fathomed,' Desmond embarrassingly admitted to himself.

'Well I can't let him think he's got the better of me.'

Every so carefully Desmond grabbed onto the windowsill, turned his body to the edge of the platform and lifted his feet off the ground.

Desmond could see fabric movements as Ezio's figure slowly crept out from underneath. Desmond smiled evilly as the Italian assassin looked left and right before he looked up at Desmond clinging to the windowsill.

The assassins eyes widened as he saw Desmond perched in an attack position above him.

"_Che cazzo-_!?" Ezio began, but before he was finished, Desmond lunged at him from his higher ground position and pinned the assassin to the ground hardly.

"_Merda! Bastardo_!" the angry Italian yelled as the two rolled on and off each other trying come out as the top victor.

Desmond, not fully understanding his position, laughed as his ancestor and he fought like two mud wrestlers on the ground.

"Haha you bastard. You thought I wouldn't notice you right underneath me?" Desmond laughed happily as he summoned all his strength to finally pin down his surprisingly weaker ancestor.

"YOU BASTARD! Kill me now as you mock me before I stab you heart out with my blade!" Ezio hissed furiously as he struggled under Desmond.

Desmond twitched as he realized the Italian wasn't kidding. He had done a significant amount of time climbing and exercising after the whole end of the world ordeal, but he lacked endurance still, so his strength wouldn't hold out on the Italians struggles.

Bottom line was that he had to made peace and forgiveness quick.

"Calm down calm down calm down PLEASE! I'm not a templar! I'm an assassin-"

"_Bastardo_! I'll kill you for trying to deceive me! I'll-"

"NO! no no no no no no no no no! Don't! I can prove it," Desmond urged as he unpinned Ezio and backed away immediately as the assassin sprung on his feet and into a lethal fighting stance.

"Please hold on a minute," Desmond begged as he fished down his sleeves revealing his hidden blades.

Before he could even comprehend what went on next he felt a massive weight hop on top of him. Desmond fixed his eyes on the blade poking his nose as an infuriated Ezio sat on his stomach and gave him a 'I'll cut your face' look.

"Fool of a man you are. Sneaking up on a assassin and letting yourself be taken vulnerable by him. No real assassin would be so stupid as to-.," Ezio cut himself off as he furious gaze shifted to Desmonds hands pinned above his head. His hidden blades where showing.

Ezio stared at them for a second and looked down again into Desmond eyes. "Underneath shirt, chest. Please just look," Desmond begged as his final effort to calm Ezio.

The renowned master assassin furrowed his eyebrows as he looked for fault on Desmonds feature. Finally he scooted back a bit and pulled up Desmonds shirt. Tattooed on Desmond right rib was the assassin symbol. He had gotten it done soon after the World ending incident. Him, Shaun, and Rebecca had gotten them together.

Ezio looked at it and poked the tattoo curiously.

Desmond took a deep breath trying not to smile at the confusion the assassin had for the strangeness of a tattoo.

"Am I innocent now?" Desmond asked hopefully. Ezio was silent and unmoving. He glare softened considerably much to Desmonds relief.

The silence between the two young assassins was long and timid. Ezio had Desmond pinned solid to the ground as the Italian contemplated what to do.

Desmond stared into his ancestors hawk-like eyes.

"Ezio-," Desmond began to say but he quickly found a hidden blade pressed to his neck.

"What?! _Come si fa_-? How do you know my name!? I'm sure I've never met you. I remember every face!" Ezio demanded. Desmond gulped as he felt the deadly metal of the assassins weapon press up against his most vulnerable spot. He felt like he just couldn't win at this point. Only one option left.

"If you really need to, use you talent," Desmond reminded.

Ezio looked shocked. Like something had just been broken over his head. He hesitated before Desmond could see his eyes change shade for a moment.

Ezio's eyes changed back and he narrowed his sight on Desmond.

"You and me are going to have a long talk."

* * *

**Ok...first thing I want to address is the obvious. I've taken a long time to write this chapter. I apologize to all you readers who had to wait so long for it. I am well aware of the pains of waiting for an update. **

**My muse has been...fickle and on'n off. This story does ship Desmond/Ezio/Altair but as a writer I need to make it my own through the story. If you ever really look at the characters from assassins creed, you realize how wonderfully complex and interesting each one is. Desmond, for me, lacks in this area, but that's because you only see a little bit of him in each game. When you play all the games, especially Ezio's trilogy, you get a full personality of a character and major parts of how they live. **

**I have a lot of fellow writers who usually see a character in a story as a description for only one type of personality fixture. Like, as an example, Altair would be the intimidating hardcore assassin who dedicates to his work, Ezio would be the humorous playboy who gets can't be taken seriously, Conner...well he is still pretty new as a character that I haven't seen any repeated representations of him. **

**Besides that, I feel like I see too much of certain characters being misrepresented over and over again, and I've been really wanting something else. I seek to try and capture a more passionate and more serious side the the characters. **

**So if I take a long time to write each chapter, I'm very sorry for all my followers. Once again, I know the pain of having to wait, but I also know the joy of having a certain quality in a story. **

**Thank you to all my reviewers, who have all encouraged me so much. **

**I hope everybody has a good week, especially so close to the holidays. Till next chapter~ toodles. **


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